Cycling: Joven rules Stage 3 of Ronda Pilipinas

ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology ruled the 223.5-kilometer Stage Three of the 2018 Ronda Pilipinas, besting Ronnilan Quita of Go for Gold Developmental team and Leonel Dimaano of Team Franzia.

Stage 3 of the race started in Pagudpud, and ended in front of the Provincial Capitol on Monday at the Tuguegarao City.

Unperturbed by the searing heat that went as high as 39°C, Joven joined the early breakaway group, kept up with the best of them, then outsprinted Quinta and Dimaano in the final stretch to seize the stage victory in five hours and 39.45 minutes.

It was an impressive performance for the 30-year-old Joven, whose recent effort sent him soaring from 23rd the day before to seventh overall with an aggregate clocking of 10:32:53, or a little over seven minutes off the lead.

"I kept telling myself I will take Stage Three and I don’t want to go to sleep tonight disappointed," said Joven.

Packed in the a seven-man group approaching the final 3 kms, Dimaano jumped the gun on everyone, but Quita was quick to respond and briefly seized the lead before Joven took charge and overtook both in a frantic ending.

LBC red jersey holder Ronald Oranza of Navy-Standard Insurance finished 13th in the stage in 5:40:28 to retain the overall lead with a total time of 10:25:39, or exactly five minutes ahead of No. 2 Archie Cardana also of Navy-Standard.

Reigning back-to-back winner Jan Paul Morales also of Navy bounced back from a forgettable effort in Stage Two by finishing in fifth in 5:39:51 that sent him climbing up the ladder from No. 9 to No. 3 in 10:31:01.

Dimaano was at No. 4 in 10:32:21 while Quita jumped to No. 6 in 10:32:52.

Making it to the top 10 overall were Jay Lampawog of Go for Gold Developmental Team at No. 5 in 10:32:34, Ronald Lomotos of Navy at No. 8 in 10:33:15, Juan Carlos Barrios of CCN Supertam at No. 9 in 10:33:29 and Junrey Navarra of Navy at No. 10 in 10:33:30.

Oconer, in contrast, couldn’t handle the scorching heat and the super long stage and wasn’t nowhere near in the big guns in the stage to slid from No. 2 overall to 25th.